Come On, Skinny Love
by sighclone
Summary: Twenty years after Maxon choses America, they are faced with the responsibility of finding a suitable husband for the next queen of Illéa. Princess Amberly, soon to be queen must find one man to spend forever with out of 35, but the selection has never been simple. When finally pressured to make the right choice, will Amberly choose correctly?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: All characters from **_**The Selection**_ **belong to Kiera Cass. Storyline belongs to us, as well as other characters.**

Prologue

"I don't know if I am exactly comfortable doing this," says America, visibly paling at the thought of putting one of her own children through what she went through.

"Dear, I have no doubt that Shalom can handle it," says Maxon, rubbing America's tense back in an affectionate manner. America glares at the use of her hated pet name, but Maxon just smirks.

"No. Amberly will be the queen of Illéa. She might only be a couple minutes older, but she will lead. If anyone will have a selection, it will be her," insists America.

"Has that ever been done before?" asks Marlee. "All of the members of the selection being men, that is."

Maxon smiles and rubs his mouth, "No, actually, seeing that this would be the first crowned queen of Illéa. It would be rather interesting, though."

"Why don't we just find a nice royal, with good connections, who Amberly likes?" counters America. The thought of having 35 teenage boys all here for her precious daughter makes her very uneasy.

"Come on America, our selection wasn't really that bad, was it?" Maxon says with a smile.

"Just as bad and maybe even worse, Maxon," says America, scowling.

"America, if Amberly has a selection, she will find a true love. Her marriage will be real, instead of arranged and love-less."

America chews her lip nervously as she considers the possibility. She wants her daughter to be happy, but the selection seems like more trouble than it's worth sometimes.

Finally letting her mind speak it's thoughts, she says, "Ok. We will do a selection for her. But if there is any sign of stress from her, it's all off. The candidates will truly be chosen randomly from a pool of good, appropriate suitors. Background checks will be done on all of them if they decide to come to the castle."

Maxon smiles triumphantly and Marlee squeals.

America just slumps in her chair, already regretting her decision. "Princess Amberly Celeste Schreave will have her selection next year then, when she turns eighteen. Make a press release and prepare yourselves."

**A/N: Hey guys this is my first ****_Selection_**** fanfic. I'm super excited. It's a collaboration with a good friend of mine, and I hope you guys like it! Review please! We read all of them and appreciate them so much!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kiera Cass. Storyline belongs to us.**

Chapter 1

I run down the hall, past the stone-faced guards who won't laugh no matter what you do in front of them. I almost trip, but save myself at the last moment. Correction: they laugh if they see the princess and soon-to-be queen almost fall on her face. I lift my skirt to avoid another fiasco and make my way to the grand room. My mom hates it when I'm late to _The Report. _Especially today, when I'm supposed to choose the 35 boys who will take part in the selection.

Who needs actual dating like a normal person when you can have your love life recorded and showed to the whole country? Of course, everyone expects me to make the perfect choice, the country's favorite or the guy who would make the best king. It really doesn't matter how much _I_ like him.

I barge into the room, leaving the hem of my peach-colored gown on the ground. Despite what everyone thinks, I love wearing dresses. Especially this one, with the cascading train and the beautiful cap sleeves. It's not hard for me to feel regal and graceful in this dress, even if I do occasionally fall on my face.

My brother comes down from the seat (more throne-looking if you ask me) and offers me a hand to help me get up. I take it with a smile and he pulls me up. He's only a few minutes younger than me, and there are times when I wish he were the one who was going through the selection.

Oh, how funny it would be to see a bunch of girls fighting over my awkward little brother. With his messy red hair and tall, lanky body, he's almost as clumsy as our two year-old sister. I couldn't imagine any girl fawning over him, or him having to decide between 35 of them who were convinced that they loved him.

"Amberly, where were you for heavens sake?" asks my mom, holding little Marlee (who is named after my mom's best friend) in her lap. Marlee smiles at me with her little tiny teeth and I come over and squat down to play with her. She takes one of my fingers and starts tugging on it.

"I was practicing and I didn't see the time go by. You should get a clock in the studio so I'm not late so often," I suggest, giving her a little smirk. She rolls her eyes and my dad leans over to kiss my head before taking a seat next to her. I don't notice Marlee released my finger until she has a strand of my strawberry blonde hair in her fist and is pulling it with all of two-year old might. I carefully pull my hair out of her little hand, and lean out of her reach when she grabs for it again.

I don't have very much time to play with her before _The Report_ begins. So my mom shoos me away to my seat next to my brother and I sit quietly before the host, Samuel opens the show. If he weren't like ten years older than me, I would totally be on that. He has a jawline that can cut stone, high cheekbones, light dirty-blonde hair and piercing hazel eyes. He's probably the reason that _The Report_ has become so popular among teenage girls lately.

Tonight I can't seem to focus on anything he's saying, I'm too busy running my speech through in my head. I've presented hundreds of speeches before, but they never cease to make me nervous. I'm not as good with words as my dad is, but if anyone would ever want me to come on and dance, I would be perfectly fine.

Let's just say that dancing is my words.

When he gestures at me I immediately put my game face on and smile. "Princess Amberly. Is there anything you would like to say?" he asks. God, he is gorgeous.

_Focus Amberly!_

I smile and start into my speech. My words and gestures have all been practiced carefully.

"I am so excited for this selection. I want to thank every young man out there who has put themselves out there. I wish I could meet all of you, but, unfortunately, I'll have to settle for only 35 of you. I want to thank the country for giving up 35 of your most eligible and hard-working bachelors and letting them come and stay with me. I can assure you that they will all be treated like royalty while they're here," I smile and gesture to Samuel. "I would like to welcome the following 35 young men to the selection."

The names start coming at me quickly.

Liam Wallace. He's cute enough. Short brown hair, brown eyes

Parker Gray. Long blonde hair blue eyes. All-American. Or should I say All-Illéan.

Ryder Greening. He's almost too handsome, with his short sandy hair and sparkling green eyes.

Grayson Archer. Not like any of the others. Kind of nerdy. Glasses that are hiding beautiful blue eyes. Super messy black hair.

Jason Stranwood. Almost white hair. Hazel eyes. A very unusual combination.

Alec Dalton. Black, curly hair and blue eyes. He looks uncomfortable in his picture.

Kaidan Romley. Brown hair that falls past his chin, grey eyes and a super mischievous smirk.

Mason Young. Shaggy red hair that falls over his blue eyes. An over confident smile.

The others are a blur, but when I get their files tomorrow I'll look over them carefully. By the time they arrive I'll know them all by name. I can't believe I can only remember eight out of 35 boys. I guess they're the ones who just popped in their pictures. I had thought that maybe each of their faces would be burned in my memory, wishful thinking on my part.

I smile graciously and thank all of the participants again before the cameras shut off. I immediately slump in my chair. They'll be here in a week. A WEEK! I don't know if I'm excited or nervous.

My mom gives Marlee to my dad who starts cooing and baby talking her. She comes to stand next to the throne/chair and pats my shoulder. "I'll be here if you need anything. By anything I mean anything at all." With a kiss on the cheek, she leaves with my dad to their room.

I look over to Shalom. "Any of them stand out to you?"

He shakes his head vigorously. "Why would you think that?"

I shrug a little and stand up. "I was just wondering, don't be so uptight." That was a strange reaction.

When I finally get into my room, I collapse on the bed.

What have I gotten myself into?

**A/N: I can't believe it. It's happening. I'm not kidding you when I say my friend and I came up with this at 3 in the morning one night at a sleepover while everyone was asleep. Things are coming together and I love the review you left and I hope you like it! Please keep reading it, it'll get better and better. If your a fan of Percy Jackson, make sure to try my other fanfics, one of them written with the same friend that's writing this. Please keep reviewing, we love them!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kiera Cass. Storyline belongs to us. **

Chapter 2

The morning of the arrival of all of the selected, the palace is in a whirl. The former Women's Room has been converted into a 'man cave' of sorts. Complete with a flat screen TV, a pool table, a bar, and an array of couches and chairs. The wing that contains all of their rooms has been cleaned and redecorated.

I'm just a big ball of nerves and caffeine. My parents are the picture of calm and collected, my mother floating like there isn't a bunch of guys moving in with us today. I'm expected to meet all of them tomorrow and dismiss at least 4 of them. As if I would recognize my soulmate after five minutes of talking to them.

My mother orders Mary to escort me to my room and keep me there while all of the selected settle into their new lifestyle, but at least four would have to pack up their things before their belongings even find their place.

So here I am, stretching out in my little dance studio, trying to keep my nerves at bay. Barre exercises are tedious, but they are mindless and I find a weird kind of calm doing them. After I have done every single barre combination possible, I move to the center. I play a shuffle of random music, just trying to piece together random choreography.

Once I've sweat through my clothes, I decide it's quitting time, and I try to sneak through the corridors without any confrontation.

And of course, with my luck, while turning a corner, I hit a solid mass that turns out to be a person. His hands immediately grab my upper arms and prevent me from falling right on my ass. Not for the first time today. His blue eyes bore into my questioningly, and he looks kind of scared.

"Shit- I mean, uh, shoot. I'm so sorry." I stare at him with my mouth open, and it dawns on me that I'm still drenched in sweat. My grey top is a few shades darker than it should be and my black capris are sticking to my legs awkwardly. I take a hasty step back.

"Amberly?" he asks, disbelieving. I nod my head, kind of petrified and not able to move my feet. He offers a hand and I almost place mine in it, before realizing that even my hands are sweaty.

"I'm Alec," he says with an attempt at a confident smile. It ends up looking more like a grimace.

I smile back at him nervously, as I desperately look around for a surface to wipe my hands off on, at one point I'm seriously considering the wall. He looks at me, understanding my dilemma and withdrawing his hand, sticking in his jacket pocket.

"I, uh, I should like go," I say, gesturing to the corridor behind his shoulder. He laughs uncomfortably and moves out of my way. I rush past him, but briefly turn back to face him. "By the way, it was nice to meet you." At that, I turn and sprint to my room.

I open it right as Mary is coming out and collapse to the floor, bracing my fall with my hands.

"Oh dear, is everything okay, Miss Amberly," Mary says from the doorway.

"I wish to be alone for the rest of my life, Mary," I mumble into the carpet. I can feel her rolling her eyes at me.

"Amberly, I was hoping your teenage angst wouldn't set in, but here it is."

I groan and flip onto my back so I can see her. "I think I'm entitled to at least a little bit of angst, given my situation."

"I guess you're right. Want to tell me what happened?" she asks

"Not yet, I want to let the humiliation sit for a while before I recount the gory details."

"Okay then, I will let you stew in your humiliation while I go get some fresh towels if you're sure. I'll make sure no one comes in to bother you." Mary says as she closes the door.

I decide to do something that will probably increase today's embarrassment but hey, go big or go home. I head to my bathroom and thirty minutes later I'm bounding down the stairs in a dress, determined to spy (for lack of a better word) on the guys of the selection.

The guards open the door for me, and I step out into the garden. The warm Angeles air greets me as I navigate around, trying to find the right window. When I finally find it, I'm faced with the problem of a plant right in front of it.

I just can't…. like I'm done, I can't. I finally just mutter "screw it," under my breath and stomp on the poor, unsuspecting plant. I look over the window ledge.

_Bingo. _The guys are all lounging around the couches, laughing and watching a soccer game on TV.

I don't know all of their names, and some of them aren't facing me. I immediately recognize Alec, and I involuntarily blush, shaking my head at how absolutely smooth I was.

As if I willed the thoughts into their brains, the one I recognize as Ryder says, "Has anyone met her yet?"

_Alec, no. Do not. Don't you dare tell them anything._

I almost cry from relief when he shakes his head with everyone else. He has a terrible poker face, but I doubt anyone noticed. The guys sitting in the U-shaped couch all laugh and bump each other.

"The best part is, Amberly is really easy on the eyes," says Kaidan. I'm surprised at how easily their names come to mind.

"Definitely. Girls like her definitely don't need an actual personality." My mouth drops open and I stop myself from crawling through the window and bitch slapping this guy.

I'm pleased to see that most of the guys share disbelieving looks and eye rolls at Jack Edwards' statement. 1 down, 3 to go. He just made my job way easier.

"According to some research, she's got one of the highest IQ's in Illéa, and is very talented in many areas," says Grayson matter-of-a-factly. I feel a smile creep on my face.

I hear a guy scoff and say, "Yeah because that really matters."

A bunch of them laugh and Grayson cheeks flare up in the cutest way possible. I feel bad, but it's nice to see that side of him.

"If only she wasn't flat as wall," says a guy I can't see, and I immediately look down, scowling.

"Well, at least her back matches her front," Jack says with a grin that I wish I could punch off his face. "She obviously doesn't take after America. The queen is a total MILF."

At that, Kaidan stands up, and I can see the vein popping out in his neck. "Okay that was more than enough. You crossed a line."

Let's just say I'd be scared if I was Jack.

"Personally, I think both Lady Amberley and Queen America are perfect as they are," Ryder says, looking directly at me. Then he winks. He. Winks. At. Me. His grin is too wide and I can see the smugness in his eyes.

My cheeks are flaming red as I scramble out of the shrubbery and back into the castle. I rush back to my room and collapse onto my bed, hoping that my interactions with the selected will be better than they were today.

The Selection is kicking my ass.

**A/N: Don't be mad at lack of updates. Please. We have not been on the same level lately and we finally got our crap together, and Sugar (our nickname for Sugar, You're Going Down. You should check it out if you like Percabeth) will be updated sometime today or tomorrow. Clarity will hopefully be updated tomorrow too. I hope you liked this chapter, we will update more often I promise!**


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Original characters belong to Kiera Cass, new characters and storyline belong to us.

Chapter 3

After experiencing my first mental breakdown of the selection (the first of many I predict), I finally sit up in my bed and take a deep breath. I need to look good tonight at the dinner. I'll show all of those guys who were trashing me and my semi-flat chest. I rush into my closet, turning to the wall of gowns, trying to choose the most flattering one.

My eyes roam over the array of dresses, finally settling on a spot of deep red.

I smile as I pull it out, remembering the time my mom bought it for me. I was completely shocked, and back then I couldn't imagine myself wearing something like that. The top is low-cut, but just enough to push up the small amount of cleavage I have. A slit runs up the side to mid-thigh, and the straps hang off the shoulder elegantly and drape in the back.

I grin down at it and lay it across my bed, undressing for yet another shower today.

An hour later, I come out with my hair half up, and in ringlets cascading down my back. My makeup is dark in the eyes, and the lips are a matching shade of scarlet.

The dress slides down my body and I adjust it, trying to position the draping correctly. Mary comes up behind me in the mirror, tugging at some material in the back, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I remember when you were just a little baby. And here you are, entering your own selection, wearing dresses like this," she chokes up a little bit, and looks away, covering her lips with her fingers.

I turn and pull her into my arms. Mary has been my second mother. Always there, always ready.

"I'm sorry, you've just grown so much," she says as she attempts to compose herself.

I rub her back, smiling softly into her maids uniform. She smells like laundry detergent and perfume. Her own special Mary scent. I step back a little, looking her in the eyes.

"Don't ever be sorry about your feelings, because most likely, I'm feeling the same exact thing."

She smiles and shakes her head a little bit. "You've always been wiser than you should be at your age."

I smile at her fondly, and she reaches down for the heels that I left at the foot of the bed. They're also red, and higher than anything I have ever dreamed of wearing, with straps criss-crossing over the front.

Tomorrow I'll have to eliminate four guys after breakfast. This dinner was set up by my dad, so I can see the guys first, then afterwards we're supposed to "mingle." I can't do that! I can't ever remember a time when I was alone in a room with 35 teenage guys, let alone 35 guys who all want to marry me.

I take another deep breath for courage and close my eyes, trying not to image all of the ways that this could go wrong. As it turns out, there are a lot of ways for this to go wrong.

I pull my shoulders back, lift my chin and head to the door, forgetting to move my skirt out of the way before my shoe happens to yank me down to the floor in the most ungraceful way. So much for my dramatic exit.

I pop back up, smoothing my hair down, hearing Mary giggle behind me. I turn back and smile at her sheepishly, then open the door and step into the hallway.

After my little encounter this afternoon, I have become more cautious around other people.

I beckon a guard forward and wrap a hand around his bicep, trying to balance myself out. He's a really good sport about it, and he doesn't even laugh at me. He's got black hair and mischevious looking we find ourselves in front of the dining room door, I peer at his name plate, saying, "Thank you officer...Ledger? As in head of royal guard Ledger?"

He smiles at me, his cheeks flushing a little. "My dad is the Aspen Ledger."

"How do I not know you?" I ask, more to myself than him.

"You probably don't remember but we used to play together as kids."

"Ah. Wait... Aha! You're Gerad aren't you?" I practically yell.

His smile widens and he nods a little. "It's been a while, Princess Amberly."

I laugh as two older guards open the doors to about 43 sets of eyes. I nod to Gerad, hoping we can catch up later, and step through the doors calmly.

All of the guys stand and I awkwardly look around before smiling and giving them thumbs up.

They look around at each other for a moment before my mother's voice rings through the room. "You may sit gentlemen."

They all sit, not one of them taking their eyes off of me. Creepy much?

I smile tensely at all of them and find my seat at the head of one of the tables.

It takes me moment to recognize who's sitting directly to my left. It's him. Ryder Greening, with the same smirk as earlier.

"Oh, God," I mutter, acting super interested in the napkin on my lap. He takes one of my hands, forcing me to look up and sets a gentle kiss on the top. "Ryder Greening, your majesty." His voice is silky smooth, and I feel the flush start to grow on my cheeks. "You look exquisite, if I may say so."

I smile and before I can control myself I say, "Well you already did so..."

I'm both relieved and a little aggravated to see that he seems more amused than offended by my response.

"I always mean what I say," he murmurs, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. My eyes widen as I realize that he means my little spy mission.

"...It's super interesting because now I can catch moving objects better without all of the shaky-ness. The shutter speed is way faster than normal cameras and-"

"You like photography?" The words fly out of my mouth as I snatch my hand back from Ryder's. I don't know exactly who I'm talking to but when the dining room quiets down, I realize how loud I said that.

"Um, yes I do," proclaims a quiet voice on the opposite side of the table, a couple chairs down from mine.

"That's really interesting. My father loves photography and has tried to teach me God know how many times," I try my hardest to fix the foot I shoved in my mouth and only succeed in shoving it down farther.

Grayson, still looking slightly confused and nervous, lets a small smile creep onto his face. "I wasn't aware that King Schreave was interested in photography."

"Oh yeah, big time. It's his one main passion." I'm a little worried that I'm giving a little too much away, but I can't stop trying to relate to these guys.

His already bright eyes lighten up even more and I can see him leaning towards me.

"This is kind of disruptive. Oh! Ryder, would you mind switching with..." I already know his name, but I can't show favoritism so I gesture for him to fill in the blank.

"Grayson Archer, your grace."

I smile and continue, "Grayson, would you?"

Ryder's cocky grin diminishes a little as he responds. "Of course not."

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at his dejected tone. "Thank you so much!" I exclaim in the sweetest voice I can muster.

Grayson is still sitting there with a blank look on his face before he pushes the bridge of his glasses up his nose and scoots his chair back. I cringe a little as he narrowly misses tripping over the chair while standing up. He mutters, "Excuse me," a couple times, and that only makes him more endearing. His manners are impeccable from what I can tell.

Ryder, on the other hand, tries his hardest to not look anyone in the eye as he moves to his new seat. There goes his plan to 'woo' me. His movements are the polar opposite of Grayson's. He is smooth and has a certain grace.

Once Grayson is settled in with his napkin on his lap and his hands folded on top, he beams at me. I can't help but blush at his completely unironic enthusiasm.

"So tell me more about this camera of yours," I say, trying to pick the conversation back up.

"Oh it's very interesting, the shutter moves so quick that there is no way it can blur a photo and if you go through the pictures in order, it kind of looks like animation."

"Oh wow, you wouldn't happen to have brought the camera to the palace, would you?"

He nods, little dimples in his cheeks making an appearance with his 100 watt smile.

"I bet it would be great to take pictures for, oh, I don't know... maybe like dance?" I ask, trying to be subtle and failing so ridiculously I grimace at myself.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I cou-"

He is interrupted by the waiter behind him setting his drink down, which poor Grayson proceeds to knock over from lack of seeing it. His blinding smile, dimples and all, completely disappears, replaced by an expression of pure mortification.

"I'm so sorry. Oh my God I can't believe I just did that! Did you get wet?" His words come out jumbled and rushed. The waiter swoops in, cleaning it up in record time as Grayson's wide eyes meet mine.

I pat his hand on the table saying, "It's not a big deal, I'm ok. It's just a little spilled water. In fact, I wish I had a camera to catch that expression on your face."

His face instantly relaxes as he lets out a chuckle and a sigh, running a hand through his unruly hair.

**N/A: Hey guys sorry we haven't updated in a while, I was on vacation. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Make sure to review because we read every single one and we appreciate them more than you realize. We will try to update again soon! Love you guys!**


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Original character belong to Kiera Cass. New characters belong to us, as does the story line.

Chapter 4

Quiet music plays in the background as my dance partner tries to find the beat, failing miserably. Here's a little hint, he's not gonna find it by stepping on my feet.

My shoulders sag in relief as the song ends and my partner takes a step back. I try my best to act polite as he says goodbye, especially since his cheeks are the same color as my dress at the moment.

Immediately the next selected comes up and awkwardly grabs my hips. What the frick man? Did any of these guys learn to dance from their mothers? Sigh.

His dancing is even worse than the last guy, if it were possible. I have to give him props for not stepping on my feet, seeing as he's directing all of his attention on his feet. Right when the song ends, his head comes up and crashes into my nose. I step back, my hand squeezing the bridge of my nose and hoping that it doesn't start bleeding. And of course it does, though not as severly as I might have expected.

Gerad parts the crowd and comes towards me, handkerchief outstretched. I take it gratefully, and turn to the culprit. Mason Young. His hand is covering his mouth and his eyes are as wide as saucers. "I am so sorry! Oh my God!" His voice is frantic and he moves his hands around, not knowing what to do with them.

I smile and wave my hand with nonchalance. "It's not a big deal, just a little blood."

He looks like he's going to barf as Gerad steps in, saving me from more awkward apoligizing.

"I think I should look at that away from all this commotion," he says, waving his hand vaguely around us.

He puts his hand on my back and gently guides me off the dance floor.

"So, I guess you're a registered nurse now?" I say, my voice coming out nasally because of the handkerchief held to my nose.

He barks out a laugh and keeps pushing me out of the door until we are out in the corridor and sitting on a settee against the wall. I settle down and lay back, and take the cloth off of my face, finding that my nose had stopped bleeding.

"You look really pretty tonight," he says, smiling. I push his shoulder and smile at him too. "You don't look too bad yourself kind sir."

He rolls his eyes lifts my chin a little, trying to get a better look at my nose.

"Well the bleeding has stopped, though you might want someone to look at your feet," he says as he lets my chin go, a smirk playing across his face.

"Tell me about it, they couldn't have had at least thirty minutes of a dance lesson before tonight?" I say.

He laughs before we hear footsteps approaching us and I look over with slumped posture, straightening out when I recognize Ryder.

"Hey, Beautiful. You mind if I steal her away, Officer..." He looks at Gerad's tag, saying, "Ledger?"

Gerad coughs, trying to cover a laugh as Ryder's hand stays outstretched in front of me. I smile the most plastic smile I can and reach for it, letting him tug me up until I'm standing. As he pulls me back into the ballroom is turn my head to get one last look at Gerad. He gives me a thumbs up with the cheesiest smile ever. I give him a quick scowl before I'm pulled out of his sight.

The crowd parts like the Red Sea as we make our way to the little dance floor in the middle of the room. He pulls me forward, making me stumble a bit and reach a hand out to his chest, saving myself. He smirks down at me and wraps a long arm behind my back, pulling me closer than I already was. My hand settles on his shoulder and I look anywhere but his face.

He takes our interlocked hands and lifts my chin up, causing me to turn firetruck red. He smirks and sets his burning gaze on my eyes. I decide to focus all of my attention on his nose. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty nicely shaped, kind of like the rest of his face...and body. I can feel the muscles of his back through the thin dress shirt.

"The color red never looked so lovely." I know for sure that he is not referring to my dress or my hair. I feel my face grow even redder and he smirks. Smug asshole.

"Well, overconfidence doesn't really look good on anyone, now does it?" I respond, my mouth curling into a smile.

He tries his best to hold onto his arrogant smirk, but it's easy for me to see it slipping at the edges.

"To me, overconfidence is a way to show interest in something you want," he whispers right next to my ear and puling my hips to his.

My body involuntarily melts into his and I sigh. I don't want to love it, but I do. I can tell that Ryder notices the change in my demenor because he stands just a little bit straighter afterwards.

I spend the rest of the dance trying to not encourage him anymore then I have been. But I feel the need to prove a point.

When the song ends and another guy cuts in, we both reluctantly part until another nameless person dances with me toanother song that feels endless. Gerad even dances with me for a couple of songs, surprisingly light on his feet. It's nice to have a conversation with a guy who isn't trying to marry me.

After what feels like the last song of the night, one more guy comes up and shyly asks me for one last dance. Grayson.

His posture is stiff and awkward, but in an endearing way. His thin fingers settle in the small of my back, carefully placed and not going anywhere.

His torso is the only part of him that moves until I force him to shuffle his feet and his face and neck flame up a little. "It's okay," I whisper, smiling at his little cringe.

"Sorry, I've never really danced before," he says, looking at our feet. I set my face on his shoulder, liking the comfortable pace and the fact that he isn't trying to impress me.

When the dance ends, without thinking, I go up on my toes and peck him on the cheek. He smiles widely and I bite my lip, stepping back and preparing myself to address all of the guys.

"Thank you everyone for coming! I really appreciate you all being here, and I have an idea of who you all are now." I smile at the right intervals, looking around the room at eager faces. "I will try to narrow all of you down tomorrow based on how we got along tonight. I'll see you bright and early." I glide as gracefully as I can out of the room and Gerad offers an arm to excort me back to my room.

We pause outside my door, and he smiles at me.

"It's been nice talking to you again," he says, still showing no sign of leaving.

"It really has, I hope we can spend some time catching up," I reply, swaying from side to side.

He nods, his hands shoved into his pockets. "Yeah, anytime you're free is good for me."

I try to think through my upcoming schedule. "I don't think I'll have any time tomorrow, maybe the next day? We could meet after breakfast, if you wanted to."

"That sounds great. Would it be okay if I invited a friend of mine? She's really cool."

I try to make sure my shoulders don't sag in relief. I like Gerard, but I still really don't know him as well as I used to. "Awesome, so I'll see you then, I guess?"

"Of course, have a good night," he says, turing away from me.

"Night." I lean on my door and turn the knob. The whole night rushing back at me.

I collapse onto bed and rip off my shoes with a sigh. I spend a lot of time thinking through everything, trying to decide who I want to get rid of and who I definitely want to stay. Despite some of my best judgements, I can't help but think that I want Ryder to stay for a while, at least long enough for me to get to know him better. Suddenly, I remember my dance with Grayson, and I can't help the smile that comes to my face.

My thoughts are still swirling as I drift off to sleep, and my dreams linger on Ryder's arms around me.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All original characters belong to Kiera Cass. New characters and story line is ours.**

Chapter 5

Waking up the next morning, the moments before my memories return are peaceful and beautiful. Once I fight through my happy daze, they come crashing in like someone kicking the door of my brain down. Ryder, Kaiden, Gerad, Grayson. So many guys.

So. Many. Guys.

And oh my God I have to choose some to get rid of. All based on a few seconds of conversation and a dance. You would never think first impressions could be so powerful.

I sit up in bed and stretch my arms out, and when I rotate to crack my back, a painful sounding pop results. After a moment of hesitation, I climb out of bed and walk over to my closet. I take a high-low dress off of a velvet hanger and change into it quickly. Mary comes in and startles to see me already out of bed. She drops the towels on the counter in the bathroom and leans against the doorframe, watching me tug my heels on and put my earrings in. I slip my matching ring on and face her, hoping she can help me with the disaster that my hair is. She waves me over to my dressing table and pulls me down into the chair. She weaves my hair into an intricate four strand braid that starts at the top of my head and wraps around, falling over one shoulder.

I run down the hallway and stop in front of the doors of the dining hall. I take a breath and pull one of the huge double doors open, only to face the 35 probing eyes. I smile softly and shuffle to the seat between my mother and my twin brother.

When the food arrives, I keep my eyes fixed on my plate and try my best to block out the polite conversation of my mother and brother. My stomach is churning so I just push most of the food around on my plate until it's finally time for the toast.

I wipe my mouth with the cloth napkin and when I back up in my chair it lets out a horrendous squeal. I cough and stand, picking up the champagne flute with a small amount of juice in it. I grab the fork on my plate and lightly tap the glass.

It doesn't make a sound so I tap it harder, and to my surprise it explodes into a million tiny shards that lie scattered on the tablecloth. I cough again and drop the rest of the glass on my plate.

"Okay."

The guys all look around at each other, covering their mouths.

My mom bites her lip, trying to hide her laughter.

"Well this is what you will be getting into, so if you have a thing for any fragile objects, the door is that way."

Everyone erupts into laughter and I blush. A butler comes up with another empty glass and hands it to me.

"Thank you."

I hold it with a tight grip and continue on.

"Now that you've all finally arrived at the castle, I would really like the opportunity to get to know you a little bit, so I'm going to talk to each of you individually. However, I'm sorry to say that we don't have a lot of time tonight so I've prepared a question that everyone will be giving me their most honest answer to. What do you think is Illea's most pressing issue at the moment? I'll give you all a few minutes to think it over and then when you're ready if I could have Liam Wallace start."

I sit down with shaking legs and take a deep breath. At least I won't have any more public speaking to do the rest of the night.

The sounds of eating fill the silence in the dining hall for a few more minutes until the first guy at the tables arranged stand and escorts me out into the hall.

"Liam Wallace."

I smile and shake his hand as we both sit on a couch that lines the wall of the hallway.

He continues to explain how equality is the most pressing issue to Illea. He talks for about five minutes and when he has his argument all wrapped up I politely dismiss him. I smile to myself as he walks out, pleased that the first conversation went so easily.

And while he was one of the highlights of my many interviews, some, such as Adam Wing, highlighting the need stricter laws to keep the poor in check. In that moment I had never wanted to hit someone as much as I wanted to hit him. I wonder if he knew that my mom had lived in one of the 'slums' as he called them before coming here and becoming the best queen Illea has ever seen.

After all of the interviews are over I'm finally alone to make my final decision. To my surprise I find that it's not hard at all to decide who I want to go home. I quickly look through all of the pictures of the guys to make sure I get the names right when I call them back in.

With a wavering voice I call back into the dining hall, "Jack Edwards, Adam Wing, Jessie Iver, and Brigan Slade, can I talk to you guys for a minute?"

It takes all of my self control to sit still when they walk in.

"Thank you for coming in." They all stand expectantly and I stand up, clasping my hands together.

"Life is short," I begin. "We have one chance to try to get everything right. And as a person put in this situation, I am trying my hardest to make my own decisions based on what Illea needs and also what I need. I have a hard time doing this, but I feel like I must send you home, not only to save my time, but also yours."

I brace myself and everyone's eyes, trying my best to seem sincere. After several long seconds of awkward silence Jack suddenly stands up.

"Are you kidding me? You're getting rid of me first? Have you _seen_ my abs?"

Before I can even think about stopping him he rips off his shirt. My face grows bright red as I take him in. I meet eyes with Adam whose hands are slowly moving towards his shirt collar. He lifts one eyebrow up, silently asking me if he, too, should take off his shirt. I furiously shake my head.

"Jack I'm sorry but if you could please leave and put your shirt back on, " I say as I stand to get the door. "Not in that order though."

I silently motion for the guards down the hall to come help me and they nod, jogging over to the door. I leave the room in a rush before I feel a hand stop me. I whip around hoping to God the shirts have been kept on. It's one of the boys, Brigan I believe and he gives me a bitch face and I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm not mad at you I just don't understand how I was grouped with them?"

I giggle a little and regret my decision to let him go. But I know he isn't the one from his _fantastic_ plan was to have the most unnecessary draft, not understanding that not only him, but his friends could easily be sent to serve for our already sufficient army. Just like Aspen tells me, the draft is not useful because many times, you are just taking the only means of income from a home.

I take a deep breath and set my shoulders before I continue down the hall. With each step I gain a little bit more confidence to face the rest of the selected. Most of my confidence crumbles, however, when I run straight into Ryder.

**N/A: Yay! Update! Sorry we haven't for a while! We appreciate the support because it's hard to update the two fics we are writing together. We will keep trying to update and hopefully we should have one out this month. Hope you guys had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.**


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